Cock Sure

Nick, who comes in for half a day a week to help us out on the farm brought three pullets this morning. They are Rhode Island Reds crossed with Buff Orpingtons. Apparently one breed lays loads of eggs and the other is larger so we get the best of both worlds. They are a very pretty reddish fawn. I will photograph them tomorrow but today they are shut in the chicken house getting used to their new surroundings. He also brought a bonus Cockerell who will be ready to go in a few months time so we can breed our own hens!! He is going to teach me how to sex them etc: and hopefully he will despatch the males - I am not sure I would have the heart for it.

We had a busy husbandry schedule. We checked all the cria who have been tagged as we had some problems with some of them becoming manky and one was quite infected and the tag had to be cut out altogether. When we removed the tag we also gave her an injection of a long acting antibiotic which has stopped any further problems and today her ear is fine.

We are going to have some of the cria shorn tomorrow because their fleece is getting long and by the time we come to show them next year it will be past its sell by date. Others still need microchipping because they were too much for Mike to hold with his arthritic elbow. He had an operation years ago but has never been able to straighten it since - so you can imagine how painful it is if he is holding an animal which decides to rear or suddenly turns round in a way that tries to straighten it. The cria are much harder than adults to hold because they are smaller and very squirmy.

Colin, the shearer, will have no problem holding them. They will either be hobbled for shearing or he will be able to hold them whilst I microchip them.

To ensure that the cria are dry for the morning to be sheared, we brought them into the barn this afternoon and because they have not been weaned yet, their mothers had to come too.

Tanya, Bourree's little black and white cria was due to have her stitches removed after her recent hernia operation. I thought I would hold her whilst Nick removed the stitches, but he thought it would be a good idea if I did it. I have never done it before but have often seen Vets and Doctors do it, so it was no big deal and all went well. I will check on her again in a few days just to make sure.

Lastly we trimmed the bonnets (top knots) of most of the female alpacas. They look really smart now and are less likely to be spooked because they can see better without the fleece growing over their eyes.

We also tested three young alpacas to see if they are pregnant. They all rejected the attentions of the male, which is good news for us, but disappointing for the male .

Dee and Rich, who are old friends have come to stay for a few days and they arrived just as Nick and I had finished working with the alpacas.

It was perfect timing for lunch and after a leisurely hour or so Mike and I put the alpacas in the barn - just before it started to rain, and Mike and our visitors took the dogs for a walk around the farm.

I am signing off now to become a domestic goddess for an hour or so - or maybe I'll just get dinner ready!!